Consider this a PSA rather than a recipe, because this idea is certainly not new. But if you don’t know about adding peanut butter to your instant ramen noodles, I’m here to tell you that it’s something you definitely need to try. I love to upgrade ramen noodles and these Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles might be my favorite so far! They’re super quick, filling, and can be customized a hundred ways. So let me show you the basics and then you can make it your own!
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I’m not sure who to credit for this brilliant idea, but adding a dollop of peanut butter to instant ramen is likely a simplified version of Dan Dan Noodles, a spicy Chinese noodle dish that combines Sichuan chiles, sesame paste, and peanuts. The chile-peanut flavor combo has been around for ages, and for good reason! It’s absolutely addictive. You can check out a couple of authentic Dan Dan Noodle recipes here: Omnivores Cookbook or The Woks of Life.
What Kind of Peanut Butter to Use
I highly suggest using natural-style peanut butter, which means it’s just ground-up peanuts and maybe a little salt, no sugar, and no added oils. The peanut flavor is much stronger with this type of peanut butter than it is with the more processed and heavily sugared varieties.
If you don’t have natural-style peanut butter available, you may need to reduce the brown sugar listed in the recipe below to make up for the sugar that is already in the peanut butter.
Can I Make it Not Spicy?
The chili garlic sauce doesn’t just add heat, it also adds garlic and acidity, which round out the sauce. So, to make a non-spicy version of this recipe you can add those ingredients individually, by making something similar to this Peanut Lime Dressing instead.
What Else Can I Add to my Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles?
You can add all sorts of proteins or vegetables to your Spicy Peanut butter Ramen Noodles to make it new and interesting every time. Here are some ideas:
- Cooked Chicken
- Shrimp
- Red bell pepper
- Spinach
- Lime
- Baked tofu
- Red onion
- Shredded carrot
- Snow peas
- Edamame
- Sesame seeds
Do I Need the Ramen Seasoning Packet?
The recipe below is designed to be made without the seasoning packet that comes with the ramen. If you prefer to use the seasoning packet, you will want to skip the soy sauce, which adds salt to the ramen noodles instead of the seasoning packet.
Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles
Servings 1Ingredients
- 2 Tbsp natural-style peanut butter ($0.25)
- 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce* ($0.13)
- 1 Tbsp soy sauce ($0.06)
- 1 Tbsp brown sugar ($0.04)
- 1 3oz. packet instant ramen (seasoning discarded) ($0.25)
- 1 green onion, sliced ($0.10)
Instructions
- Combine the peanut butter, chili garlic sauce, soy sauce, and brown sugar in a bowl until it forms a smooth paste.
- Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat. Once boiling, take ¼ cup of the water and stir it into the peanut-chili paste until it forms a smooth, pourable sauce.
- Add the ramen noodles (without seasoning packet) to the boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes, or just until the noodles are tender.
- Drain the noodles, then return them to the pot with the heat turned off. Pour the peanut sauce over top and stir to combine. Top with sliced green onions and serve immediately.
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Notes
Nutrition
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How to Make Spicy Peanut Butter Ramen Noodles – Step by Step Photos
Begin by stirring together 2 Tbsp natural-style peanut butter, 1 Tbsp chili garlic sauce (or sriracha), 1 Tbsp soy sauce, and 1 Tbsp brown sugar until it forms a smooth paste.
This is what the chili garlic sauce bottle looks like, if you want to look for it in the store. You can find this in most major grocery stores, in the international aisle. If you can’t find this, you can use sriracha.
Bring a small pot of water to a boil over high heat for the ramen. Once it starts boiling, take ¼ cup of the boiling water and stir it into the peanut-chili paste, until it forms a smooth, pourable sauce.
Then add the instant ramen noodles (without the seasoning packet) to the boiling water and boil for 2-3 minutes or just until tender.
Drain the cooked noodles, then return them to the pot with the heat turned off. Pour the peanut sauce over the noodles and stir to combine.
These noodles are definitely best when served immediately, so don’t let them sit around! Top with a sliced green onion and enjoy!
I made this for lunch today. Used gluten-free (rice) ramen noodles because I am celiac. I also added fish sauce and sesame oil to the sauce and increased the chilli because I like spice.
I added some frozen mixed veg while cooking the noodles. And topped the whole thing with the green onions, but I also added sesame seeds. Then I squeezed a little lime juice over.
It was absolutely delicious!
This is SOOOOOOOOOO YUMMY. I’ve made it many, many times for a quick lunch or dinner. I make steamed vegetables to add to it, and try (key word try) to cut back on the amount of Ramen just so it’s a bit healthier.
A little acidity from a squeeze of lemon/lime/dash of vinegar takes this to the next level and balances out the sweetness!
Delicious!
I love this recipe! I usually make the ramen with the chicken broth and then add the peanut butter mixture to the broth (mix a bit of the broth into the peanut mixture first so that it’s smooth and can pour out, otherwise it’ll be lumpy).
Wow! Best ramen I’ve ever tried. I didn’t have garlic chili so I just added a little siracha and minced garlic and it’s so so delicious. I also added some peanuts on top for crunch. Amazing!
I love that you name check Woks of Life and Omnivore’s Cookbook, bc they make up my Big 3, along with Budget Bytes! :)
I absolutely love this recipe! Not only is it ridiculously cheap, it is so soo delicious and super quick!
Only six ingredients and insanely delicious? Yes please! Love adding steamed veggies and tofu/chicken to use up whatever I have in the fridge or freezer.
OMG – I am a sucker for peanut butter and love Ramen . Made this today for lunch and I fell in love immediately with this dish. Took only a few minutes for the sauce – adding it to the Ramen made a dish that was even better than I’ve had in Chinese or Thai restaurants. Thank you.
Super tasty, and easy :)
I might try this again with half the peanut butter. That flavor completely overtook everything else, even the garlic chili. It wasn’t very pleasant as is.
So good and literally so easy! Love throwing in some rotisserie chicken for extra protein.
I made this for lunch today and it was amazing! I added a few roasted peanuts for crunch and juice from half a lime. I will definitely be making this again.
I’ve been making this for my husband for lunch and adding cooked chicken. He LOVES it!! So good.
Delicious and so flavorful! I didn’t have the chili garlic sauce but had some momofuku chili crunch and it was very spicy but so yummy!